My version of HoO The Mark of Athena
by tvanimal
Summary: Expanding on Rick Riordans fantastic book series revolving around Percy Jackson and his friends is my version of what awaits avid readers in the Mark of Athena. all rights belong to Rick Riordan.
1. Chapter 1

**Mark Of Athena – Percy Jackson fanfiction**

Chapter 1 - Percy

The message that the Greeks were coming, in numbers and in a large warship spread like wildfire. Within minutes every demigod of every cohort was summoned to the edge of Camp Jupiter's boundaries, the Lares, Amazonians, and even a small crowd of veterans gathered behind them and at a distance.

The Little Tiber flowed by not ten feet from where Percy now stood. The authority which he now possessed, he used to get the cohorts in line and, with help from Reyna, some 200 demigods now stood as if they were being inspected. Weapons were gleaming inches from twitchy fingers and even Octavian dared not speak.

Following the revelation that the Greek warship was on its way, Percy and Reyna agreed that they should assemble by the Little Tiber, to force the ship to land on the opposite bank. This was an easy means to separate the bulk of the Greeks and the Romans, The swift-flowing river also giving Percy an edge if violence occurred.

Before long, a dark smudge appeared on the horizon. The ship approached cautiously which allowed Percy to marvel at its design and also to consider who was aboard. He had not forgotten that Annabeth had probably spent months worrying about him, but he was also confident that the ships arrival meant that his whereabouts were now known and in all likelihood Annabeth was one of those on their way.

"Pretty impressive, don't you think?" Percy whispered to Reyna, who stood shoulder to shoulder to him in the same purple toga of a praetor.

"That it is, but don't forget the stakes of this meeting. Jason's return would help avoid a fight and also take away some of Octavians influence from his supporters." She answered curtly, Her eyes tracking the ship with a detached look.

Before long the ship slowly came into land on the opposite bank, a faint thud as it came down a little harder than intended. As movement was heard within the ship, Percy uncapped Riptide and held a defensive, yet neutral posture at the river's edge.

Before long a gangway was lowered over the side of the ship though nobody was in sight on deck. Then three people emerged, followed almost immediately by a jet-black Pegasus.

One of the people, Percy immediately recognised as Annabeth. Her face was a mixture of relief and anxiety as she caught sight of his face, Percy couldn't help but smile at her and give her a sly wink as they slowly closed the distance.

The person in the middle could only have been Jason. Recognising his face from a picture in Jason's old praetors room, Percy took in the blonde hair and the electric blue eyes as he heard sharp intakes of breath from behind him.

It was the last person that caught Percy off guard. The black spikey hair of Thalia Grace coupled with eyes identical to the person next to her caused something to click in his head as he walked into the river and strode across the surface as if the water was solid.

Chapter 2 – Jason

Descending from the ship and taking in the view of Camp Jupiter once more cleared some of the haze that withheld those few memories that had still to return. It was unanimously decided that Jason be the first one to greet his old friends as a show of good faith, as where the other two companions. The black Pegasus known as Blackjack apparently had other ideas though as he smartly trotted out right behind them.

Annabeth was there as the unofficial leader of Camp Half-Blood and Thalia came along as support. The goddess Diana commanded all the Hunters to join up with the ship, something about the number of demigods outside the protection of magical boundaries attracting monsters. Diana herself disappeared after saying she would dissuade any monsters still crazy enough to pursue the ship.

The one thing Jason didn't remember was the eagle standard featured prominently in the midst of the fifth cohort. He also didn't recognise the boy striding towards them on the crest of the wave with a sword in his hand, but before he could reach the gladius at his side Thalia grabbed his hand and motioned him to wait.

The boy stopped in front of the small group as a smile played across his face. It was then that Jason realised who this must be; Percy.

The tanned face and the black hair betrayed nothing of his father's power but his eyes were something different. Jason had heard from many different people that his innate powers caused the very air around him to crackle, but the boy in front of him was completely the opposite. His eyes seemed to convey the vastness of oceans and a combination of sheer unpredictability and raw emotion. Jason could see why he was so well liked as he also noticed the praetors robe he wore.

Percy's gaze lingered on Jason's and Thalia's before turning to Annabeth with great restraint, as if his longing for the daughter of Athena was tempered by the conditions of how they were reunited. Finally, Percy moved towards her and encircled her with his large arms. Giving them a brief moment to themselves, Jason and Thalia took a step to the side by quiet consent.

A few seconds later, they broke apart with whispered mutterings in each other's ear. Annabeths eyes slightly red though accompanied with a small smile and Percy taking her hand in his.

It was then that the Pegasus approached the son of the sea god. Percy's smile widening even further as he scratched the horse behind the ears and saying, "Yeah, missed you too man….stop calling me boss or sir, you know you don't need to….no I don't intend to leave you behind again anytime soon, it wasn't my fault in the first place…"

He didn't get much further before Thalia lost patience and hit him on the arm; I know, real subtle of her. Percy grimaced slightly as he said, "Nice seeing you too Thalia." He shifted his gaze to wink back at Annabeth before adding with a smile, "bet my adventures trump yours recently!"

"We'll see," was the answer as Thalia and Percy quickly embraced, before Percy turned his attention to me.

"You must be Jason Grace then?" he asked with a glance at Thalia, "son of Jupiter?"

Jason was about to explain as an explosion of light blinded everyone.

Everyone raised their hands to shield their eyes in a futile gesture as the light disappeared as quickly as it came to reveal a girl of about 14 in a moonlight-silver tunic and a bow strapped to her back.

In a voice that could be heard by the Romans across the bank, shattering the silence that had fallen like a crystal bell, Lady Artemis eyed Percy as she approached and said "Well met again young demigods."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 – Jason**

Descending from the ship and taking in the view of Camp Jupiter once more cleared some of the haze that withheld those few memories that had still to return. It was unanimously decided that Jason be the first one to greet his old friends as a show of good faith, as where the other two companions. The black Pegasus known as Blackjack apparently had other ideas though as he smartly trotted out right behind them.

Annabeth was there as the unofficial leader of Camp Half-Blood and Thalia came along as support. The goddess Diana commanded all the Hunters to join up with the ship, something about the number of demigods outside the protection of magical boundaries attracting monsters. Diana herself disappeared after saying she would dissuade any monsters still crazy enough to pursue the ship.

The one thing Jason didn't remember was the eagle standard featured prominently in the midst of the fifth cohort. He also didn't recognise the boy striding towards them on the crest of the wave with a sword in his hand, but before he could reach the gladius at his side Thalia grabbed his hand and motioned him to wait.

The boy stopped in front of the small group as a smile played across his face. It was then that Jason realised who this must be; Percy.

The tanned face and the black hair betrayed nothing of his father's power but his eyes were something different. Jason had heard from many different people that his innate powers caused the very air around him to crackle, but the boy in front of him was completely the opposite. His eyes seemed to convey the vastness of oceans and a combination of sheer unpredictability and raw emotion. Jason could see why he was so well liked as he also noticed the praetors robe he wore.

Percy's gaze lingered on Jason's and Thalia's before turning to Annabeth with great restraint, as if his longing for the daughter of Athena was tempered by the conditions of how they were reunited. Finally, Percy moved towards her and encircled her with his large arms. Giving them a brief moment to themselves, Jason and Thalia took a step to the side by quiet consent.

A few seconds later, they broke apart with whispered mutterings in each other's ear. Annabeths eyes slightly red though accompanied with a small smile and Percy taking her hand in his.

It was then that the Pegasus approached the son of the sea god. Percy's smile widening even further as he scratched the horse behind the ears and saying, "Yeah, missed you too man….stop calling me boss or sir, you know you don't need to….no I don't intend to leave you behind again anytime soon, it wasn't my fault in the first place…"

He didn't get much further before Thalia lost patience and hit him on the arm; I know, real subtle of her. Percy grimaced slightly as he said, "Nice seeing you too Thalia." He shifted his gaze to wink back at Annabeth before adding with a smile, "bet my adventures trump yours recently!"

"We'll see," was the answer as Thalia and Percy quickly embraced, before Percy turned his attention to me.

"You must be Jason Grace then?" he asked with a glance at Thalia, "son of Jupiter?"

Jason was about to explain as an explosion of light blinded everyone.

Everyone raised their hands to shield their eyes in a futile gesture as the light disappeared as quickly as it came to reveal a girl of about 14 in a moonlight-silver tunic and a bow strapped to her back.

In a voice that could be heard by the Romans across the bank, shattering the silence that had fallen like a crystal bell, Lady Artemis eyed Percy as she approached and said "Well met again young demigods."


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry about that last chapter, just trying to get used to the ridiculous submission procedure you have to use to put up a story on .

If you want to read this elsewhere, I'm also putting this up on fanpop at; .com/spots/the-mark-of-athena/articles/142061/title/version-hoo-mark-athena

so if you want to go there instead, that's ok.

Anyways apologies pincone face hunter 16

**Chapter 3 – Percy**

The moment she spoke Percy, Annabeth and Thalia bowed deeply in the direction of the goddess. Everyone else however was on their knees, Jason hitting the ground quickly enough to grunt in pain as his knees made contact with the ground.

Artemis herself shimmered as she walked, at once regal and proud, not unlike Zoe Nightshade Percy thought but also slightly wilder and bearing the eyes of a hunter at times.

As the goddess of maidens approached, Percy let go of Annabeths hand and pulled away from her slightly so as not to offend. Artemis was after all part of a small group of immortals who regarded him with a small measure of respect and even kindness, unlike others. Hell, it had only taken the burden of the sky to do so as well.

As the maiden goddess stopped before them, her form shimmered once more before settling into the one most familiar to Percy. Thalia immediately abandoning the demigods and taking up position at her side, Artemis looked slightly annoyed as she said "it is good to see the trip from Camp Half-Blood was uneventful."

Annabeth stepped forward at that point and asked, "As it is to see you again, my Lady. If your duty to see us safely here is done, shouldn't you return to Olympus though? Lord Zeus will not permit you to stay much longer." She concluded that sentence with a fearful glance at the sky, as if awaiting the inevitable thunderous warning.

"Nay, Lady Hera has persuaded Father that the course open to us is the only way to defeat Gaia. Though Zeus is still angry at us for toeing the line of his authority, he understands the reason for us doing so. Even so, our actions against his wishes are but the symptoms of the true reasons behind his bitter and proud feelings." She replied as she looked at Percy, as if he was the cause.

"And what is this reason?" Percy asked hesitantly.

Artemis smiled at him then, "sadly it has something to do with you, Perseus. Turning down his offer of godhood wounded his pride little. Extracting a promise from all of us to recognise our children as well as giving the minor gods equal recognition instead, well it embarrassed us all to a degree."

"It wasn't Percy's fault. Surely Lord Zeus knows that Percy didn't turn down his offer out of spite or lack of respect." Annabeth blurted out.

"He should, but he didn't. Remember, he made the offer personally and with the agreement of the Council. Don't forget that this comes on the back of the knowledge that it was a son of Poseidon that fulfilled the Great Prophecy and that Olympus required timely aid from both his brothers to defeat the Titans."

"So his pride is wounded because he realised he needed the aid of demigods to defeat the Titans and with Gaia stirring, he doesn't want to ask for aid again?" Thalia asked Artemis, following the conversation with interest.

"Precisely. It took Hera's capture to cool his temper and Athena's wisdom to make him see that our power alone is now insufficient to lull her back to sleep, what with the giants arisen and making for Greece."

"That answers the question of you staying a while, but why do so?" Jason asked, acknowledging her explanation without question.

"A simple exchange of camp leaders was a clever idea by Hera, but Athena felt it was insufficient to overcome the teachings of generations and I, as goddess of Rome and of Greece, can be quite persuasive." Artemis replied as she eyed the Romans on the other side of the Tiber.

"So what do we do now?" asked Annabeth.

Artemis gazed at the ship and then at the Romans before replying, "now everyone aboard the ship disembarks, the Romans lower their weapons, and we heal old wounds."


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for the feedback so far and apologies once more to pincone face hunter 16.

The web page .com/spots/the-mark-of-athena/articles/142061/title/version-hoo-mark-athena is where you'll find an easier place for me to submit this story if you prefer. I am still not used to this site fully.

Anyway here's the next chapter. I hope you like it as it was a challenge to fit in what we know already from the previous books. I have ideas for the next few chapters already so keep your comments coming in and I'll put them up when I can.

**Chapter 4 – Hazel**

The Senate house was packed with people. Demigods, both Roman and Greek, lined the lower seats along with a handful of Lares and the Hunters of Diana. Veterans and the remainder of Camp Jupiter were crammed into the upper tiers. This was after all, an important day for all who lived here; a second Great Prophecy was starting less than a year after the last one was fulfilled. We should have had more time Hazel thought to herself as those leading the meeting motioned for silence.

An unusual sight beheld her as she looked across at the centre of the building. The table, behind which bore the dual seats of the praetors had been moved and an extra pair of chairs had taken its place. Jason, the previous praetor, and Percy, the one raised on shields only a day ago sat side by side on the dais and flanking them sat Reyna and the empty chair reserved for Diana herself. At present Diana was stood up and addressing the Senate, commanding total silence.

"….you have heard of Gaia's awakening and of the two quests to stall the giants rise to power," she was saying, waving her hand in the direction of Percy and Jason. "Now you must hear why cooperation between you is so important."

If it were possible, the ensuing silence that fell became even more profound. Everyone present had just heard the accounts of Percy and Jason as they recalled the events surrounding Hera's capture by Enceladus and of Thanatos' capture by Alcyoneus and how important their release was to the future of Olympus.

Diana composed herself before drawing herself up again and continued.

"As you all should know from mortal history, the fall of Troy would mark the beginning of what would later become the Roman Empire. In this point in time, the gods of Olympus would frequently agree and disagree with each other over their support of various mortals and over the balance of their own power. Out of this came Rome, out of the chaos became order and out of the tribal nature of Grecian society came the iron discipline of the legions and their prowess in battle. At this time Romans and Greeks hated each other more than ever; Romans hated the lack of order of the Greeks and yet marvelled at the wondrous and varied culture that very trait gave them. Of course it was the same for the Greeks in their feelings towards the Romans but for the opposite reasons."

The goddess paused as she inspected the faces before her, faces that saw the truth in her words and yet unsure of their purpose. Her gaze fell last on the augur, Octavian, who nodded his head slowly in the silence and whose hatred of the Greeks no doubt blinded him to what the goddess was trying to say.

"As you all know, this led to the Romans adopting the gods to their own culture; refining the gods into the more imperial ideals they saw in themselves. And so this change also fell on Olympus, when dealing with Romans, we became more warlike and disciplined; accepting the new names given us and their respective traits. Problems arose however with the continued conflicts between Greeks and Romans and their ancestors through the many generations. The core of our strength still lay in our Greek roots, although we did not want to reject our Roman change altogether. After a particularly brutal conflict some centuries ago therefore, we collectively agreed to separate our Greek and roman children to avoid further fighting and this led to us spelling the Mist so the knowledge of one camp was lost to the other."

At this point, Octavian stood up respectfully and said with restrained anger, "this we have already gathered from the Graecus Percy Jackson and his "friends". But it does not explain why we should accept each other now?"

"Have you heard nothing Octavian? The prophecy says that foes must unite to close the Doors of Death and stop Gaia." Percy answered as he rose to answer, his cheeks flushing with anger directed at the arrogant augur.

Diana motioned gently for Percy to sit, which he did immediately with a quick bow of deference in her direction. It took a while longer for Octavian to also follow suit as he glared at the son of Poseidon. Eying the augur with distaste, Diana continued.

"The giants march on Greece, but first they must go to Rome. Olympus can still withstand the giants presently, but our strength wanes even as theirs grow. By going to Rome, they mean to hasten the decline of our power and effectively amputate all that we have gained by accepting our Roman forms and all that entails. Always the gods have had to deal with both camps as two distinct beings, but now we must pool our strength and recombine our disparate selves back into one. When in our Roman forms, we are rejecting our Grecian roots and it costs us a great deal of our power to do so. It is the same for our Greek forms though less so as the Roman influence is less than our Greek roots, which is why the giant's final destination is Greece."

With Lady Artemis / Diana finished with all she had to say, Hazel watched as she calmly stood to one side and listened in silence as the Senators took over to do what they were best at; deliberate with painstaking slowness about the coming days. Hazel all but ready to doze off as the meeting drew to a close and everyone filed out to make their own way to a late lunch.


	5. Chapter 5

Here is the next chapter for everyone. Cheers for the comments, you keep posting them and I'll keep adding chapters to it.

Submission procedures on this website still befuddle me and to that end I'll try one more time to put the complete web address here which is /spots/the-mark-of-athena/articles/142061/title/version-hoo-mark-athena

Chapter 5 is now here…

**Chapter 5 - Reyna**

What the hell is happening? Thought Reyna as she ate the food in front of her.

The mess hall was packed with people as they devoured their lunches, a slight breeze blowing down between the tables as food was whisked back and forth. Reyna had forgone her place at the praetors table to sit with Frank and Hazel amongst the fifth cohort to try to get a better idea of what was to come. It was all in vain though; Percy and Jason, along with the girl called Annabeth had eaten their food as quickly as possible in order to talk to the goddess Diana further. Even now she could see them talking at the edge of the large hall.

Am I not in charge around here? Even more so than Percy OR Jason? She added bitterly to herself, as she wished that she could be included in the discussions that could determine the future of her Camp. Amongst her bitter feelings came an overwhelming sense of duty and anxiety. She sensed that her struggle with Octavian and the problem of stability within Camp Jupiter was not as easily solved as she'd thought when she saw Percy raised on shields at the end of the fighting on the field of Mars.

As she cast furtive looks at Percy and Jason, she thought back to the Senate meeting and shuddered. Three children of the big three in the one building, the atmosphere inside made people feel nervous to put it lightly. When Octavian spoke out of place during Lady Diana's address, she could feel the anger rolling off Percy and Jason. She almost imagined a slight trembling of the ground beneath her chair and the low rumbling of thunder in the skies in Percy's harsh rebuke.

At least Octavian won't dare try anything until they leave for Rome she thought hopefully. With that happy thought in mind she turned her attention to Hazel and Frank, who sat closely together on the opposite side of the table. Hazel was acting weirdly, correction, more weirdly than usual. The slightly scary child of Pluto was casting perplexed looks down the table. She was watching the Greek known as Leo when Reyna had followed her gaze. The weasel-faced kid didn't pay attention to their glances, distracted as he was by the hunters with a dreamy cast to his face.

The kid was just asking for trouble unfortunately, judging by the returning scowls of the immortal maidens as they caught his roaming gaze. She stared at the guy for a few moments with a disapproving expression only to be startled by a tap on the shoulder.

Reyna cast a startled eye up only to see Jason's face looking back at her. The small group who, until now had been at edge of the hall, now stood with Jason in the midst of the tables. The hunter known as Thalia also sidled up between the tables to join them as all the voices in the hall dropped to whispered mutterings and stealed glances at the odd group.

"We have just finished our planning for the journey to Rome." Percy said in answer to the unspoken question, much more comfortable now that he had changed out of his toga into clothes obviously brought from Camp Half-Blood by the way they fit him.

"We have decided that all the Greeks go to Rome via Camp Half-Blood accompanied once more by Jason Grace and also Frank Zhang and Hazel Levesque", supplied Lady Diana.

Left behind yet again, Reyna wanted to rage at them. Octavian will be unbearable yet again and won't be kept at bay without Jason and Percy.

"However, before I return to Olympus I will seek out Lupa and her pack in order to bring them in to patrol the city's border. Lupa herself will help keep rule within the city," the goddess added, as if she could guess at Reyna's fears.

"Once at Camp Half-Blood, we will fill in Chiron and address security there before leaving for Rome. Lady Artemis has agreed to allow Thalia to accompany us," took over Annabeth.

"Us? You mean to take all the Greeks here with you to Rome?" Reyna asked.

"Most of the Greeks will remain at Camp, with the exception of Percy, Leo, Piper and me," Annabeth corrected as Hazel made a small sound of distress at the mention of Leo.

"We will also be taking Tyson and Ella with us," added Percy with a guarded glance at Hazel and Frank before motioning at Octavian who sat just out of hearing range. Both of them flicking an understanding nod back.

Confused as ever, it was all Reyna could do to agree to the plan with the understanding that by tomorrow afternoon, the Greeks will be gone and the defence of the city will be her sole responsibility.

It was with a heavy heart that Reyna left the mess hall with the last of the stragglers determined to eat as much as possible. Making her way to the praetor's house she lived in, she watched as Percy and Jason's ragtag group made their way to the other praetors living quarters, obviously intending to spend the night somewhere other than the barracks of the cohorts. Lady Diana had disappeared before dinner had finished, with no one who saw her leave.

Stripping off her armour, Reyna quickly succumbed to sleep before removing the rest of her clothes as she fell face forward onto her bed and into a land of blissful rest.


	6. Chapter 6

A dry spell on the comments guys, come on!

Next chapter coming up though, this one has dark portents courtesy of yet another dream / vision. Hope you like!

**Chapter 6 – Percy**

After the meeting in the Senate, what was left of dinner seemed to fly by. His reunion with Annabeth was obviously overshadowed by the threat Gaia posed the gods and also the tension between the two camps that had been divided for so long. Five minutes through his food, Lady Artemis had asked to talk to him, Jason, Annabeth and Thalia out of earshot of anyone else to discuss the plans of the next few days.

Artemis was easily convinced regarding the side trip to Rome to rescue Nico. The idea of a demigod as powerful as Nico being captured by Gaia was bad news considering what Hazel was asked to do for her all those years ago. Since the prophecy only referred to demigods, Artemis conceded the possibility of the group being amended to include Tyson, Grover, Ella the harpy and even a few of her hunters. Ella's knowledge of the Sibylline books could be a powerful tool if in the wrong hands, and so Artemis was all too happy for that leverage to be removed from the reach of people and monsters like Octavian. Once a snake, always a snake thought Percy of the arrogant and power-hungry augur.

As Percy lay on his bed, his mind drifted over all he had learnt, or relearnt, in the past 24 hours. He did remember enough to know that he missed the presence of Annabeth next to him, although she was only in the next room with Thalia, Phoebe, Hazel and Piper. Percy himself was in the company of Jason, Leo and Frank. This was the first night he had spent in the praetors house out of respect for Jason, but the spaciousness of the building allowed for several house guests, though the majority of the Greek contingent remained on-board the ship they flew in on.

As Percy drifted off to sleep, his fingers played over the now familiar beads hanging from his neck, five beads from Camp Half-Blood plus an additional bead made by Tyson himself that very day – an imperial gold bead with the eagle of the legion and SPQR delicately inscribed on its surface. Succumbing to tiredness, the foreboding feeling of an oncoming nightmare hit him like a freight train, as he sank deeper into unconsciousness and was forced to embrace whatever dreams sleep brought him once more.

_He was in a cave with no apparent source of light; rough-hewn walls showed it was not man-made but a natural space deep within the earth. Directly ahead was a cage that seemed to have been grown from the earth itself and radiated a cold, ancient evil. Though he wished otherwise, Percy's dream forced him closer to what lay within; a young man hunched from tiredness and despair with long, dirty-looking hair and loose, torn clothing._

"_There is no escape you fool" a voice boomed from somewhere out of sight that caused Percy to jump out of surprise and fright._

_The only reaction from the man in the cage was a slight drooping in the shoulders and a ragged exhale of breath. Percy watched as the person shifted his position to retain as much of his clothing's warmth as possible only to see a glimpse of his face as the source-less light shone briefly across his features. With a start, he realised that it was Nico di Angelo himself._

"_Your foolish goddess Hera could not escape such a trap, let alone someone as weak as you. I advise you not to try shadow-travelling again unless you want your strength to flee your body and kill you on the spot." Added the voice as Percy was unable to attain its origin._

_Percy could almost see Nico's thoughts running through his head. If he were to die, nobody would feel inclined to rescue him and he would deny Gaia a bargaining chip to boot. His fears were justified when Nico suddenly drew himself up and spoke clearly "you seem to be under the impression that I would care for the alternative of staying here under your hospitality."_

"_I know your mind, young demigod," replied the voice, a hint of amusement present this time, "your life is still more precious to you and your friends. Even now they intrude on this place in their dreams and see their mission to save their pathetic parents can only end one way." As this was said, what felt like a hammer-blow fell on Percy as his mind threatened to be blown apart, the only sight available to him was the face of a woman, her eyes more than half-open and an expression of sinister delight playing across her features as she said, "I await you in Rome, saviour of Olympus!"_

_Then darkness fell upon Percy's vision, but not before he caught a glimpse of his friend behind the bars. Nico was now staring wildly through his prison with a sudden expression of surprise and hope replacing his demeanour of despair as Percy mouthed "we're coming!" unsure if Nico could even see him._

With that Percy woke with a start. He was drenched in sweat as the silence of the praetors house was shattered by the trembling earth beneath their bodies and a quick look to the window showed the sky rent apart by a series of devastating cracks of lightning. The sudden illumination of the room revealed the face of Jason a few feet away as their gazes met. Words weren't needed as understanding passed between them that they had just seen or dreamt the same thing.

Such was the suddenness and volume of the storm and mild tremors that everyone present was soon awake. The girls soon joined them from the room next door to the disapproval of Phoebe, looks from Thalia and Hazel confirming that the children of the big Three had all shared the same dream. All thoughts of sleep now gone, the group sat in silence with the occasional snags of conversation as everyone awaited the dawn and the abating of the storm.


	7. Chapter 7

I hope you liked the last chapter. The fact that only the most powerful demigods have dreams of special importance is something I don't think riordan explored that much in his previous books.

**Chapter 7 – Frank**

Stifling a yawn from his lack of sleep, Frank brushed the tiredness from his eyes as he followed the action below. After the tumult of bad weather last night, no one had caught much sleep after they had been woken up, but you would never have guessed it judging by Percy and Jason's performance below.

The two most powerful demigods of their generation were sparring with fearsome intensity in the arena below, exchanging blows almost too quick to follow. Though they fought with differing styles, their swordplay had evolved a lot even over the last hour. Drenched in sweat and starting to fall prey to exhaustion, they both managed to deliver a handful of skin-deep blows and scratches to the other. Since the beginning of the match, they had learnt how different their styles were and Frank could see the change from their initial engagements, almost as if they were learning a new style that bridged their taught manoeuvres.

As Frank watched, Percy and Jason exchanged a handful of blows, their swords dancing amidst sparks flying off every time their blades met. With Riptide in his right hand, Percy delivered a pair of blows at Jason's left side and then his right, forcing his sword hand, also right, downwards. He then stepped into Jason and delivered the first disarming move he had apparently been taught, but with a twist, as he slapped the blade out of Jason's hand, he twisted his hips and his left elbow came round to catch Jason in the jaw. Rather than scramble for his weapon, Jason used the motion of turning to lessen the blow and pirouette on his toes and replied with a leg sweep of his own, taking out Percy's legs from beneath him. As they started to wrestle on the ground weapon-less, they suddenly became still as Thalia and Annabeth approached, calling an end to the fight.

Admiration for the spectacle still in his mind, Frank hopped down from the stands where he'd sat and, holding hands with Hazel, went to see what was up. By the time they arrived at the arena, Percy and Jason were receiving slaps on the backs from their fellow demigods as they shook hands with each other, exhausted smiles on their faces.

Thalia and her companions Phoebe and Annabeth stood to one side as she said loudly, "Percy, Jason, it's time for us to load the ship, let's go!"

Percy and Jason instantly went to retrieve their swords from the arena floor and made to follow; gazing around to find Frank and hazel and making sure they came as well. They approached the warship in relative silence, the nature of their quest keeping them melancholy. It was massive; 100 feet long easy and protected by steel on its hull, as they approached, Frank was astonished to see celestial bronze glistening from projections in the hull from above where the waterline would be.

As they took in these details and more besides, the guy called Leo appeared. The grime-covered latino kid still managed an impish grin when he saw them, as he motioned them aboard.

"Welcome to the Argo II people, we will be departing in ten minutes according to the Lady Artemis. To fill in the time, let the supreme commander of this fine vessel give you the tour." He said, as he made a futile attempt to wipe his face with a dirty rag.

The warships layout on the deck was relatively simple, three masts of varying heights with a captain's wheel and a number of provisions strapped down out of the way. Below deck, they came upon an officer's room for meetings, a dozen or so small rooms where officers would sleep and a large room for the rest of the "crew" to sleep, hammocks and sleeping bags laid out wherever there was space. Frank didn't fail to note that in every room there were weapons, most notably swords and shields, secured to the walls and in easy reach of anyone who needed them. The last room, however was different; as they stepped inside, the heat hit them like a blast wave, they had arrived in engineering.

The group emerged into a small boiler room lined with lightweight metal instead of wood like the other rooms, it was so hot that everyone except Leo and Percy broke out in sweats. Franks hand automatically went to his pocket to feel the stub of tinder of what remained of his lifeline. In the last few days, he didn't feel so threatened by the possibility of it spontaneously catching fire if the wrong thought entered his head but his feelings of paranoia could not be helped.

It was a relief then, when they emerged back on deck after the tour and the stifling heat of the boiler room. Tyson and Ella awaited them next to the main mast as did all the Greeks, all of them eager to go back home.

It was a few minutes after that Lady Artemis appeared into the languid silence that had settled onto the deck. As she approached, it was Leo surprisingly who took the initiative and bellowed orders for people to get below deck and secure anything that wasn't already until only a handful remained. Artemis shared a glance with Percy, who nodded perceptively as he closed he eyes in concentration and, with a snap of his fingers shouted "Mizzenmast!"

The boat suddenly felt like it had come alive; the masts unfurled, tacks were adjusted and the thrum of the boats power came to the fore ready to obey any command. It was Jason who stepped up next, directing the winds about the ship until they filled the sails and the boat lurched forward and upwards steadily, Camp Jupiter's residents cheering as they grew smaller and smaller, the ship gaining altitude until it disappeared into the clouds.


	8. Chapter 8

Cheers for the props from previous chapters. I really appreciate everything you've commented on and there isn't one opinion in the whole lot I would remove / respond negatively on so thank you guys!

Anyways here's the next chapter.x

**Chapter 8 – Hazel**

Hazel felt awful, her stomach rumbling restlessly and refusing to accept any intake at mealtimes. She did not feel at home in the air like Jason, the child of the sky. She thought back on what others said about Jason, ever since he'd returned people had talked about how he'd changed. He seemed more confident not so much in himself, but in those around him, an ease perhaps found in the absence of a rigid command structure like at Camp Jupiter. Hazel had to consider what Camp Half-Blood would be like for Roman demigods, though there Greek companions seemed nice enough.

And then there was the fact that Leo looked so much like his grandfather, Sammy. The previous night, Frank and Percy had convinced her to talk to the son of Vulcan and ask about the resemblance. Leo had gone wide-eyed as he saw the photo of Hazel and Sammy together, though somehow the fact that Leo confirmed it wasn't him in the picture actually disappointed Hazel for whatever reason. She was already in a relationship with Frank anyway so she puzzled over her disappointment. Leo could only tell her a little about his grandfather, most of it told to him through his mum, and more of it forgotten as Leo had only been young when he lost his mother to Gaea.

The comparison found in Leo was somewhat unsettling to Hazel though, a feeling shared by Frank and Percy. At first glance, Leo was identical to Sammy from the picture, that unsettled them at first but when they had a chance to inspect Leo's face closely as he showed them the boat they could see changes they had somehow overlooked or missed completely. Percy and Frank tried to convince Hazel that it was some sort of trick of Gaea designed to ensnare Hazel and / or Leo and entrap them, but Hazel didn't fully agree. The part of her that regretted her actions all those years ago bubbled to the surface when she saw Leo, and that part even refused to see the differences the other two saw in him.

That was the direction of her thoughts as she stared out from the deck of the ship. The ship flew above the clouds and so the ground below was beyond her sight, hiding the fact that they were flying as fast as possible back to the Greek camp. Everyone was so in awe of the ships speed that they were convinced the Gods aided them discreetly, as they were due to touch down in a matter of hours instead of days.

Hazel was soon joined by the Greek demigod called Piper; the girl was beautiful even if she didn't wear make-up of any kind. Normally a kid of the love goddess would have a low standing in Hazel's mind, but Piper had been named as one of the seven and the dagger half-concealed at her waist showed hidden steel in her.

It conspired that Hazel was not good at hiding her emotions as Piper immediately asked, "What's wrong?"

Hazel sighed. It was a talk she wasn't really ready for, let alone with someone she barely knew. Her sole response was a weary shrug of the shoulders.

That was enough apparently as Piper said, "I heard about your brother being captured so I'm really sorry." She reached a hand out towards Hazel's shoulder as she added, "even now I bet the guys are thinking about ways of getting him back, though I'm sure Annabeth will be the one to come up with a plan that might actually work."

Reassuring words, Hazel thought. But then again, from the conversations they had the previous night; Piper had not shared the dream where she saw Nico imprisoned. She shuddered as she recalled how weary her brother looked and how defeated he seemed. How could they get him back? Hazel wondered despairingly. Gaea had seemed so confident in her success, not even bothered by the intrusion of the demigod's presence.

Sensing the turmoil of her companion's thoughts, Piper broke conversation again saying, "We will get him back Hazel. By the way the Greeks talk about Percy, he could leash a storm to his will, if he hasn't already. And that doesn't even include you and Jason."

Hazel smiled slightly as she recalled Percy fighting the ghost army on their previous quest, barely a week ago. She also recalled how powerful Jason was in his own right and what she had herself accomplished. As these thoughts ran through her head, the future didn't seem quite so grim and even the warm southern wind propelling them to California lessened the chill of anxiety that had settled into her bones.

With slightly happier thoughts occupying her mind, she nodded gratefully to Piper before they both made to go inside the cabin. Today will bring new problems and solutions no matter what you try to do, she thought as she made her way to the officer's room. It would only be a matter of days now before she was among her "other" family and right now she was safe in the protection of her friends and the Lady Artemis.

As always, try and comment when you can as well as offer some plot directions you would like to see just on the off-chance I get writer's block which is a high


	9. Chapter 9

First off, I would like to apologise for the time it took to put this chapter up. My only plea is that Work has been laid on me thick and fast.

Having said that, in my limited free time, I also fell prey to my biggest vice of loving books too much. A week or so ago, by chance I stumbled across the trailer for the new film, "The Hunger Games" and, intrigued, decided to pick up the book on which it is based. Not one to leave it at that, I was then compelled to read the other two books in the trilogy. And though I cannot apologise enough to those eagerly awaiting the next chapter, Suzanne Collins (the author) delivered a brilliant story of the depths of humanity, the good and bad. And I am grateful she has some input on the film that is to be released next month.

Trailer for the Hunger Games is; .com/watch?v=OgssLmsOa2s

You absolutely have to Check out both film and book.

Heres the next chapter as well, so Enjoy!

**Chapter 9 - Percy**

Camp Half-Blood was just about in sight for Percy as he trembled in suppressed excitement. At the beginning of the trip, he was slightly apprehensive at spending more time in the air than he deemed he was allowed but the boat was apparently neutral territory, that or Lord Zeus knew the urgency of the quest. The ship didn't even pass through a storm on their journey north, favourable winds helping speed them on their way. Jason had helped Percy navigate the ship over the course of the journey, which had taken less than a day which was impressive. The ship was just as smooth sailing on water as it was soaring in the sky. At the moment, the massive warship was skimming the sea approaching the shores of the Long Island Sounds.

Now though, the strawberry farm was coming into view and Percy knew it would only be seconds until the borders of his camp were visible. In those moments Percy thought he would explode in anticipation. In what seemed like an eternity, the beach came into sight at last to reveal an impressive sight. Standing on the beach to welcome them home was an honour guard of 50 demigods led by none other than Clarisse and the fatherly figure of Chiron side by side.

As soon as the ship anchored on the shore, Percy was over the side of the warship and leading the way to the shore. This was made all the more impressive as everyone following actually got wet and couldn't walk across the surface of the water like he could. When they reached the shore, those waiting finally broke like the surf and rushed forward to clap Percy on the back all the while shouting and cheering. The only ones managing to hold themselves back where the centaur and the daughter of Ares as they looked on slightly disapprovingly.

When everyone finally calmed down and was done asking about where he'd been and what he'd been up to, Percy managed to break free from the crowd and approach Chiron who stood where he had been before waiting.

Percy was all smiles as he faced his mentor and friend, also smiling, as the centaur was a visage of calm and tranquillity in the face of an uncertain future. Even now, with Chiron present, everyone felt calmer than before. No words were needed as they embraced each other, arms encircling the other as Chiron slowly rotated so as to place Percy on his back as he led the small procession back to Camp.

Within minutes, the demigods found themselves back in the Big House around the large council meeting table. The unchanging nature of the room set everyone at ease; even Frank and Hazel, who had never set foot in the room, found themselves at ease after initially being apprehensive of Chiron given their familiarity with his wild cousins. Percy had seated himself between Annabeth and Hazel, Frank flanking Hazel's other side enfolding her hand in his. The following hour involved briefly recapping to everyone not at Camp Jupiter the quest to the lands beyond the gods and the assault on the Roman demigods stronghold.

As the news of Nico's capture was revealed, Chirons expression became tortured as he struggled to remain silent, refraining from interrupting. Towards the end, Jason also included the dream that plagued himself, Thalia, Hazel and Percy before their departure, something that didn't go down well with his companions Leo and Piper, who had been in the dark about the cause of their sleepless night.

Then it was Chiron's turn to disclose a few prodding attempts by Gaea's forces to breach the camp's security. Reports of wild Cyclopes involved even made Tyson snort in disgust and despair, betrayed as he was by his own kin. Ella had to flutter out of the corner of the room she had chosen to occupy over to Tyson to calm him with a stroke of her wing on his face. If anyone present thought it a weird sight they declined to comment further on it other than with quizzical expressions.

Then it came time to address the days to come and what must be done, in this everyone listened as Chiron made to speak. As a near-immortal being of unrivalled experience and knowledge, his advice was always invaluable.

"This news of Nico in the hands of Gaea in severe in the extreme," he said sadly, "that she could contain him with no hope of escape is our immediate concern and he must be found before she kills him or worse."

"What could be worse than death?" Hazel asked angrily, voicing the question before someone else could. She was after all closer in terms of family than anyone else present.

"As a son of Hades, she could use his considerable power for her own ends, even if he fights her." He paused then as a shadow passed over his face, "I should never have let him go to find the Doors of Death, he is no match for Gaea and there are places under the earth where even he has no dominion."

"There must be some hope for getting him back," Percy said, "our vision of him was real, and they are not given to us without purpose and I do not see Gaea's hand in initiating this one, only using it to further her cause."

At that point Rachel Elizabeth Dare, the resident Oracle of Delphi chose to enter the room, taking a prominent seat next to Chiron and shoving Annabeth over with an annoyed sigh in reply.

"Did he mention where the Doors of Death were perchance?" she asked smoothly as she joined in the conversation, no doubt informed by her own mysterious means of everything said at the meeting.

"The Doors of Death are apparently in Rome, which is where we have to be if we're to have a chance to stop the giants before they reach Greece." Hazel added, breaking her silence.

The word Rome at that point triggered Ella though as she suddenly snapped towards Hazel as she recited clearly, ""Wisdom's daughter walks alone, the mark of Athena burns through Rome" in her shrill singsong voice.

Before anyone could have a chance to decipher that ominous message, their attention was diverted to Rachel as she slumped in her chair, head bowed as green smoke began to bellow from her mouth. Restraining Hazel before she had a chance to go for a weapon, Percy and everyone else could only watch as Rachel's head lifted from the table with dead eyes as she repeated Ella's words along with new ones.

_**Children of the elder three unite**_

_**To save death's son from Gaia's might**_

_**Sons of bloodshed and fire embrace**_

_**Their gifts to survive what they must face**_

_**Through deaths door an ally has come**_

_**And only love's spell can undo whats been done**_

_**Wisdom's daughter walks alone**_

_**The Mark of Athena burns through Rome**_


	10. Chapter 10

Sorry for the wait on the next chapter guys, been working hard out in the real world and, well, I came home every night without any energy left for continuing the story. I did finally get an hour in which I could do a bit of writing and so this is the result.

As for the comments, thank you for taking the time to read and give me feedback. Someone mentioned I think the southern wind propelling them or something a few chapters back, what I meant I think was northerly wind (Camp half-blood is in California, north of Camp Jupiter in San Fran. Right? I can only apologise for being English and being very bad at geography and knowledge of the States in general being as how I study Physics)

For those who care, I am considering writing a sequel to the inheritance cycle by Christopher Paolini in the near future (set 200 years after the events of Inheritance, with at least one of Rorans descendants and Eragon returning to Alagaesia to confront a mysterious new threat). If you can comment, please do as I felt CP really let the hype and the fans down slightly with the final book.

Also, distractions for me this month will be; John Carter film (next week or so), Hunger Games film (next few weeks), Wrath of the Titans (end of month), American reunion (next month) and Lockout. If viewing these films at the cinema in any way impact future chapter submissions in terms of frequency then I apologise in advance. (I also caught the newest trailer of the Avengers movie-one word "Legend…" wait for it "…dary!")

Anyways next chapter up so Enjoy!xx

**Chapter 10 - Jason**

Jason could almost smile as he watched the reactions of his fellow Romans. Hazel and Frank were staring wide-eyed at Rachel in disbelief; he also saw the involuntary jerk indicating they'd both instinctively gone for the daggers at their side. It was the same fighting reflex he'd felt when he'd seen the Oracle work through the mortal girl for the first time, the unnerving feeling that this girl was closer to the will of the gods than Octavian back at Camp Jupiter.

As Rachel returned to her upright position, completely okay with the fact she was just hijacked with the spirit of the Delphic oracle, there was a moment of silence before a debate broke out over the prophecy's meaning.

"Children of the big three obviously refers to Percy, Jason and Thalia," Connor Stoll said quickly.

"And Hazel, she is the daughter of Pluto…or Hades for everyone here," replied Frank quickly with a glance in her direction.

"The second line must refer to Nico, which means it is possible to get him back from Gaea, I knew it!" Percy said with determination and a grim smile.

"What of sons of bloodshed and fire?" Piper asked the room in general, looking around for a clue as to who they might be.

"The son of fire means me I think. As for the son of bloodshed, isn't it referring to a son of Ares?" Leo said with a quiet voice from the corner as he tinkered with some copper wiring.

"My father isn't Ares, it's Mars. And he isn't the god of bloodshed but of war and strategy." Frank replied, an annoyed expression on his face. Jason knew why of course, his time among the Greeks taught him Ares was more violent and less like Athena than his Roman counterpart.

"In this case, it does mean you I'm afraid. The prophecy was spoken through a Greek oracle as Athena was mentioned and not her Roman half. The fourth line also refers to you embracing each other and your gifts in order to survive." Chiron stated simply, looking at Frank, his penetrating eyes somehow seeing Frank's hesitance to be near the fire-starter. Jason could see Frank's hand suddenly move to his pocket as if to check its contents.

"Who'd be the ally through death's door?" asked Clarisse, as everyone else suddenly fell silent, remembering all the friends they had lost to the Titan wars and those who'd fallen in the course of quests or to the monsters who hound them outside the safety of the both camps.

"We cannot truly see who it'd be right now. As for the next line, a daughter of Aphrodite is our best bet, a charm speaker in particular," Chiron stated with a glance at the end of the table towards Piper.

"Wisdom's daughter has to be me then, mustn't it?" Annabeth said sadly as the implications of the prophecy took its toll, Percy and Chiron both calming her with a hand on each shoulder. "But I don't have the Mark of Athena, at least I don't think I do." She added.

"The last line must become clear at a later date, though prophecies usually take care of themselves regardless of our understanding of them." Percy said to the surprise of everyone else, his teacher and mentor Chiron, smiled a shadow of pride at the statement.

"Regardless of the prophecy's content, everyone needs to try and get some sleep tonight. The camp's borders are well protected as long as the Golden Fleece hangs from the guardian tree and even Gaea has not consolidated her forces so soon as to warrant concern over the next few days. For those departing for Rome, they should leave as soon as possible tomorrow before the giants can reorganise. Hopefully they will not realise you have left and continue their attempts on our borders again. With Lady Artemis and the hunters, minus Thalia and Phoebe, to help us shore up our defences and that of Camp Jupiter, and Iris being allowed to open communications between our two Camps, we are much better prepared to repel an attack." Chiron said in a tone that signalled the end of the conversation.

The room quickly emptied in small groups. Cabin heads were eager to impart what they had learnt to the rest of their brothers and sisters, whilst the rest were just eager for a chance to sleep. Phoebe departed for the edge of the camp after a word with Thalia, no doubt to join her fellow hunters in patrolling the boundaries with Lady Artemis, whilst Percy and Annabeth walked hand in hand towards Poseidon's cabin. Thalia, however, joined Jason as he made his way to Zeus' cabin, though neither felt fully comfortable sleeping in the majestic, yet cold marble hall under the gaze of their father. The night saw the two siblings succumb to sleep side by side with their hands inches from one another as if they wanted to make sure the other was nearby.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11 – Percy**

Percy woke up when Annabeth nudged him painfully in the ribs. A shame too as he had been undisturbed in his dreams for once, an unusual thing for a demigod to experience let alone one of his power. He opened his eyes to take in the sight of Annabeth in his arms and the smell of the ocean in his nostrils. Poseidon's cabin was otherwise empty to the pair in the bed, the water fountain the only source of light emitting a warm glow to match the light creeping through the closed curtains.

For the first time in ages, Percy felt truly at home. It wasn't as though Camp Jupiter hadn't changed him, because it had. It was just that everything he needed was at hand and the only thing missing was his mother's presence nearby; the one person still unsure of his safety and well-being.

Carefully extricating himself from Annabeth without waking her, Percy approached the fountain with a drachma in hand. Tossing it in and asking Iris to connect him, he saw his mother sitting at the table in her kitchen, dark circles in her eyes.

"Mum?" Percy asked, his tongue sticking to the roof of his mouth as he saw how ill his mother looked.

"Percy!" she exclaimed, as her head whipped in his direction, her eyes with a wild cast to them. Even as they took in the sight of each other, Paul appeared at her side with two cups of coffee, wordlessly passing one to her and taking a sip of the other.

"I'm sorry, for not speaking to you sooner and for being unable to see you," Percy said desperately as his tongue untied itself and ran off that sentence too quickly to be understood.

"Annabeth IM'ed us yesterday when she found you. You were asleep at the time and she told us you had enough on your plate," Paul replied with a weary smile. On closer inspection of Paul's face, he hadn't had much sleep recently either; the cost of having a demigod for a son.

"She told us you have to go on another quest again, so soon after your last one as well," Sally said with tears in her eyes as Paul rubbed her back comfortingly.

"I do mum; we need to get Nico back and Rachel has had another prophecy." Percy replied, begging his mother to understand and trying to apologise.

"Nico? Where's Nico?" Sally asked suddenly, wiping her eyes with a tissue.

"Mum, he's been caught by Gaea in Rome," Percy had to wait as his mum gasped. On more than one occasion, Nico had visited Percy at home and had met Sally and Paul. Like Tyson, Sally had immediately made him feel like part of the family which to be honest, they were in a weird way.

"And Rachel, what does she say?" Paul asked; his hand motionless on Sally's back, concern etched across his features.

"That we have a chance to get him back, if we leave today." Percy replied before he could lose his nerve.

"So soon, but what if I never see you again Percy! I can't say goodbye like this, I can't…" was all that Sally got out before she started sobbing in earnest and buried her head in Paul's shoulder, spilling her coffee over the side of the table completely ignored.

Percy stared on completely helpless as Paul locked eyes with him and in that look understood that though they wished otherwise, Percy had no choice but to leave and pit his will once again against those who would bring down the gods.

It was all Percy could do to look at his mother one more time as she emerged from her crying and say, "I will return mum, I promise. The giant who was Poseidon's Bane died by my hand and with the aid of a minor god. The full might of Olympus and that of Poseidon himself is yet to be unleashed, to say nothing of their children."

A sudden fire bloomed in Percy's stomach as he finished speaking, anger at Gaea and sadness at seeing his mother reduced to tears twisting his guts to knots, giving him a rush of energy and eagerness for the quest ahead. As the image of his mother smiling sadly back at him faded, the water in the fountain stayed weightless in the air for a second before falling back down with a splash. He stood rooted to the spot for a second before a rustling sound behind him turned his attention to the bed.

Annabeth had watched the entire exchange in silence as she rose from the bed and approached Percy on quiet feet as she pulled on her shirt. Giving him a peck on the cheek and a quick hug, she somehow conveyed understanding of all the pain and comfort the sight of his mother had given him and he squeezed her back all the harder in appreciation.

Percy and Annabeth both showered and dressed before leaving for breakfast. It was a sombre affair as everyone knew what was to come. Most campers would stay to oversee defence of the Camp and that of Camp Jupiter whilst the quest members would set off for Rome and danger of a different kind. Artemis herself would return to hunting monsters in the vicinity of both camps with the aid of her hunters minus two.

As they ate, Percy watched as Phoebe and Thalia departed awhile in the company of Artemis only to return minutes later looking forlorn and thoroughly depressed. Phoebe in particular had been unusually reserved compared to her aggressive and boy-hating streak but now she looked lost and out of place as she hung close to Thalia for the remainder of the meal.

Finally the meal drew to a close and the conch horn signalled the end of the meal. Chiron stepped down from the dais and led the quest members out of the pavilion and to the ship as those who'd remain moved out from behind tables to line up on either side of the slow and sombre procession. Sombre words were exchanged between Annabeth, Leo, Piper, Frank and their cabin-mates as they passed by, a few hands touching shoulders in silent farewell. Percy's heart wrenched as he commanded the ship to move away from the shore and those upon it as those who joined him formed a living chain at his sides, watching everything they'd known disappear from sight.


	12. Chapter 12

My god! nearly a month between posts...ahhhh i apologise profusely for my lack of submissions. i can only plead that i have had neither time nor inspiration for a while though hopefull the time will soon pass.  
>in error of my ways i will now put up not 1, not 2 but three chapters to make up for lost time and a 4th will follow before the weekend.<br>apologies and enjoy!

**Chapter 12 – Percy (again)**

It wasn't until half an hour later, with the sails catching the wind just right and propelling them faster than should be possible, that everyone began to disperse. Leaving Camp half-blood was as hard as it was leaving Camp Jupiter, but nothing other than sea really remained between where they were now and Rome. As soon as Percy had left Montauk in the rear-view mirror, he felt better; as if a load had been lifted from his shoulders. His perfect navigation skills pointed him in the right direction and they made a beeline for Rome, but now he felt something else as well as they left the Long Island sound behind as well and saw nothing but ocean.

Percy felt powerful. Not thousands, but millions of gallons of water lay twenty feet from where he stood on the railing of the deck. He had felt something like this once before; when he dared sit on his father's throne as the titans attacked Olympus. The entirety of his father's domain and his power could be felt from that throne, and now, for the first time in his life, Percy was surrounded by nothing but water. He could sense the little eddies in the current as he angled the ship to take advantage of the Gulf Stream that would see them to the western edge of Europe.

He could also sense something else; his father's presence. More specifically, he thought he could feel Poseidon keep track of the ship and be a lookout for dangers that Gaea might have sent to impede their journey. It made sense of course, Gaea would have no direct power in the middle of the ocean.

For two nights Percy slept soundlessly in his bunk, his father's constant presence reminding him of Poseidon's cabin back at camp. On the third day however, when they were halfway to Rome and Percy sat next to Annabeth discussing nothing in particular, the hairs on the back of his head suddenly stood on end as Poseidon's voice rang like a bell in his head.

"Percy, look out!" his father cried, as Percy felt an alien and cold presence stirring in the water directly below the ship.

Percy jumped to his feet even as Annabeth followed suit, alerted by the tension in Percy's shoulders. Scanning the deck for Leo and Jason, Percy found them and shouted, "get us in the air, now!"

As the ship shuddered and struggled to get in the air as fast as possible, it was suddenly pulled back down with a splash as something with scales came over the side of the ship. The "tentacle", if that's what it was, came over one side and vanished over the other. Before most of those on board could react, the top half of its body became visible.

The serpentine body, for that's what it was, was topped by a viciously shaped mouth. A snakes head with a cavernous mouth contained numerous rows of long and sharp teeth as it jabbed its head trying to catch Percy's fellow shipmates with its teeth.

"A Ketos!" Annabeth shouted, even as she drew her dagger from her side and a longer gladius from the other.

Percy vaguely remembered the monster from the myths, more from the description than the name. his namesake, the original Perseus, slew a Ketos as he rescued the princess Andromeda and the city of Aithiopia from the wrath of the gods. The now-famous Herakles or Hercules had also slain one as it threatened Troy after the king slighted the gods after giving their aid to the building of its defences.

Somewhere in the back of his mind as he dodged the fanged menace before him, Percy mused on the irony that in those two instances the two creatures had been sent by his own father and the others of Olympus.

"Any ideas on how to kill it?" Percy shot back as he dodged the creatures other end.

"Swords and arrows, though Medusa's head would be useful about now!"

Percy grinned in spite of the situation. Both the original Perseus and himself had used the hideous face of Medusa against a foe in battle.

"What about you, Jason? Can't you use lightning against it?" Percy yelled at Jason as everyone was forced to put distance between themselves and that mouth.

"And fry everyone who's soaked in sea-water? Not unless you have some way of making sure the strike doesn't hit us as well!" came the reply.

"Then use your power's to isolate it Percy." Frank interjected as he used a spear to fend off an attack by the monster's tail.

Seizing on that idea, Percy concentrated on the sea around him. As vast as it was, it wasn't hard to condense the water immediately surrounding the creature and pry it loose from the ship. The creature tensed up and began to rally against the invisible force, but Percy held firm the watery prison and raised the entire beast into the air and way from the ship. As Percy began to squeeze the life out of the now-powerless snake, Jason yelled and raised his fist to the sky as lightning screamed down in answer. The resulting blast blinded everyone on board and forced them to avert their gaze, the light vanishing a second later to reveal no trace of the monster whatsoever.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13 - Piper**

Stunned silence followed as everyone turned their gaze on Jason. He looked round at everyone in reply before saying, "too much?" before cracking an impish smile suspiciously like the one Leo frequently sported.

The tension vanished as everyone cracked a laugh and lowered their weapons; even Phoebe of the hunters managed a smile as she returned her nocked arrow to its quiver, a quiver that seemed to replenish its contents even as they were used up.

"Just about right I think," Percy replied as he recovered his smile. He went over to Jason and slapped him on the back before adding "impressive display though," with a grudging smile.

"You can talk, you could have finished him yourself by now if I'd just let it be." Jason said in return before sharing a look with Thalia and asking, "How did you do it though? And how did you know we were about to be attacked?"

"I'd like to know that as well," Thalia butted in as she moved to Annabeth's side, both girls looking to Percy for an answer.

Percy looked uncomfortable with everyone staring at him. That was the major difference between not just Percy and Jason but also, Piper suspected, between their respective fathers and their positions on Olympus. Jason looked like the born leader; commanding loyalty from everyone as well as himself, but Percy liked to toil away rather than lead from the front. Piper had heard from people back at camp that Percy's weakness was his family, but it was also his strength. The demigods of both Greece, and now, Rome as well saw his selflessness and rallied to it as they would a legions standard.

"Do you not feel it? feel different out here, away from Camp?" Percy asked everyone, concentrating on Thalia and Jason.

Piper had no idea what he was talking about. She felt the same as she always did; apart from the obvious emotions she felt for Jason and for the responsibility of the group and the quest they were on.

The two siblings obviously had some idea of the question, as they shared another look and a slightly secretive, embarrassed expression.

"We thought it was just us two," Thalia answered as she looked guiltily at Annabeth by her side, "it was just a feeling we shared and we didn't want to tell you guys about it too soon."

"Tell us what?" Piper asked, her curiosity now piqued.

Jason motioned upwards, "you haven't noticed that the sky has been cloudy since we hit the ocean in earnest? And that not a drop of rain has fallen on us that entire time?" he asked around.

Piper looked up as everyone else did too apart from Thalia, Jason and for some reason Percy. It was true; the sky was full of clouds, and not the wisps of cloud seen on a summer's day. These clouds looked as though they contained enough water to turn the sea into a roiling cauldron and upset their voyage completely. However, not a drop of rain seemed to threaten them.

"What does that mean then?" Leo asked timidly, his eyes remaining on the clouds above. Piper returning her gaze to her companions as she awaited the answer.

"That the gods are watching over us and our quest," Frank said in reply as his expression revealed a startling revelation.

That startled everyone else in response. Again though, the only ones not showing any surprise were Jason, Thalia and Percy, as if they had known it all along.

"You knew this already didn't you?" Annabeth asked Percy as he replied with a nod.

"But how?" she added almost immediately

"I only had my suspicions about Lord Zeus and the others, but my father has been keeping an eye on us ever since we set sail from Camp Half-blood. I also feel stronger than before, my senses more attuned to the surroundings." Percy replied.

Annabeth's eyes immediately rose in realization, and chagrin. Piper took a little longer to understand as she cast her gaze about the surroundings. It wasn't until she realised he was talking of the ocean itself that she saw what he meant. Percy was in the middle of his father's domain, all of his parental-specific abilities would, of course, be magnified ten-fold as long as he remained there.

But Jason and Thalia?


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14 – Annabeth**

"I still don't understand about Lord Zeus though, and how?" Annabeth asked, slightly annoyed as if the answer was just out of her grasp.

"Father must have requested favourable winds from Aeolus and the four winds," Jason replied.

Of course, Jason's last quest had involved seeing Aeolus and Boreas. She felt like slapping herself for not getting it sooner, Zeus would have organised for some cloud cover, Aeolus would make sure it covers the ship to Rome and Poseidon would be preventing a downpour. A simple solution to prevent any disturbance to their journey, no doubt designed, at least in part, by her own mother.

Annabeth was surprised, and maybe a little slighted that the son of Mars had cottoned on quicker than she did herself. It was hard to see that Mars was different from Ares as his / their children all bore similar, physical characteristics. Frank Zhang was probably the only child of the war god, except on occasion Clarisse, that Annabeth felt she could get along with and trust.

"That is good, it is about time the god's stopped being the hunted and became the hunters instead like Lady Artemis," Phoebe said regally with the first true smile seen from her in days.

"True, but this time we are not targeting a particularly nasty monster, but mother Earth herself." Thalia chided her gently before adding, "though a pack can hunt bigger and stronger prey together than an individual of that same pack, lest we forget when the titans held our own patron captive."

Annabeth's back winced with a sudden, phantom pain. Memories of holding the weight of the sky threatened to flood through her as she hammered them back down and saw Thalia glance at her apologetically.

"Enough with the depressing talk for me in one day this is," Leo said brightly. Annabeth jumped as she'd forgotten the conversation included the whole of the ship's crew.

"I'll see to getting us underway again asap," Leo said as he sauntered off with a final, "bloody inconsiderate attacking and leaving a mess like this!" before he began to pick up broken pieces of ship and going off for replacements below deck.

That was the cue for people to disperse. Percy went off to help Leo with repairs over the side of the ship, whilst Jason took to the air to check the length of the main mast which had somehow been undamaged by the sudden attack. The torn masts had to be repaired and patched up, holes had to be covered over the side, weapons had to be stashed away again and remnants of hacked off monster had to be thrown overboard.

Within minutes, the ship was made ready to sail again with a weary cheer as the sails were tacked to the wind and began to fill.

As the ship began to move without the assistance of Percy's or Jason's power, most everyone turned in for an impromptu nap, even though night was still several hours away.

Annabeth had managed to find herself on watch duty with Frank for the first shift. Though initially alert, within minutes eyes began to sag and the silence marking the end of another was punctuated by snatches of conversation as they struggled to keep each other awake. It was with some relief that Piper turned up with Phoebe for second watch and, without any prompting needed, both Frank and Annabeth went inside and fell on the first beds they saw.

Annabeth nodded off nearly immediately despite the fact that the warm presence of Percy next to her was absent. As she fell to the blackness within, she was stricken with a sudden terror which washed over her and energised her as she tried desperately to wake up to no avail.

"it is useless child, your quest is doomed as are you I'm afraid," Gaia murmured even as she appeared before her. "Not even the Mark of Athena can save you from what's coming!"


End file.
